ADD is so much more than a behavioral problem

By Professor Seidy Ugalde L.

skul1276@gmail.comeandro

Most of the teachers believe that ADD (attention deficit disorder) is about problems of concentration and children who misbehave in class.

Recently my collegues and I have been attending a series of workshops about curricular accomodations; and my friend Marce and I had the chance to talk about ADD.  After reading the chapter and share our experiences I learned something new: ADD is a medical condition which affects directly the frontal lobes of the brain. 

Sadly, when childen with this disorder are not treated on time, they can develop worst behaviors when becoming adults, even to kill themselves. 

People with ADD use to feel lonely because they are asolated by their own families, teachers and classmates. So, the problem is that the rest of the world around them don´t show understanding and don´t get informed about how to help them to feel accepted and valued; that´s why, ADD sufferers need to feel their homes as the first source of love and patience, in a word a safty space to get prepared to face the outside world.

Now, as the name of this blog suggests, Sei is going to share with you some symptoms of ADD some tips about how to help people withthis disorder don´t think you have to be a teacher  to find this helpful, you don´t know if a close relative or friend is going to need your understanding.

SYMPTOMS

1. ·       Rarely finishes his work.
2. ·       Calls out for answers in class; never waits his turn.
3. ·       Easily and consistently distracted.
4. ·       Exhibits weak follow-through and preparation for futures events.
5. ·       Wants everything right away.
6. ·       Personal areas are a mess.
7. ·       Doesn´t seem able to reflect on the past to learn from it.
8. ·       Doesn´t sit still, always on the go.
9. ·       Cant´s hold several thoughts at a time.

PARENT/TEACHER TIPS FOR REINFORCING POSITIVE BEHAVIORS

1. Focus on the child´s strengths.
2. Avoid arguing and no-win discussions.
3. Set fair limits and stick to them, no negociatiating
4.  Avoid punishments or taking away privileges as the primery reinforcement.
5.  Role model healthy behaviors.
6. v Walk your students through complex tasks dividing them into manageable steps.
7. Avoid unrealistic expectations.
8. Develop your contingency-management skills
9.  Maintain clear daily, weekly and monthly goals.
10.  Always use a loving approach in spite of your frustrations.
11.  Encourage healthy peer relationships.
12.  Celebrate appropriately when a performance goal is reached.